Kristy Gough and Matt Peterson Memorial Ride

Memorial site for Kristy and Matt (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau

http://www.flickr.com/photos/garrettlau)

by Lucia Mokres

On October 18, a dedication ceremony took place to honor the memory of Kristy Gough (Third Pillar) and Matt Peterson (Roaring Mouse), who were tragically killed when a Sheriff’s Deputy struck them while riding through Steven’s Canyon last March. The memorial was hosted by the City of Cupertino, and several Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club- SugarCRM members turned out to show support, along with many other local cyclists.

We all rode from City Hall in Cupertino, past the site of the accident, to a small turnout in the road in which the memorial was built. Kristy and Matt’s families both gave extraordinarily moving speeches. After 6 short months, the devastation is no less poignant; each family member had their own way of expressing such an array of emotions, from sadness, to anger, and finally, to hope for those of us still out on the road.

The tears flowed freely as we thought about Kristy and Matt, and others we have lost.
It was also a time to reflect on how fragile our own lives are, and how important it is to take care of ourselves and each other both on the bike, and behind the wheel. One of Matt’s mother’s most striking remarks was how proud Matt was of his body--a vessel that had previously been a source of grief and became such a source of pride as he lost an extraordinary amount of weight and became strong and fast; and how shocking and unfair it was that this same body could not protect him from what was to come. We all may feel strong and invincible on the bike. Because we are self-aware on the bike we assume that others are aware of us. Yet, how many of us have taken our eyes off the road to answer a call, change the radio station, or driven while sleepy. The message of hope was that we stay safe, that we develop better traffic laws and relationships between motorists and cyclists, but most importantly, that we enjoy riding, our life, and the people in it to the fullest.

The dedication concluded with an unveiling of the memorial. A ghost bike, permanently installed and painted white, marks the site and is a meaningful way to attract attention of passing riders and drivers. A plaque sits at the foot of the bike, with the following inscriptions:

In Loving Memory of Kristy Gough

November 19, 1977 - March 9, 2008

FREE FROM LIMITATIONS & IMAGINARY LINES

Our hearts forever inspired byMatthew Wayne Peterson

June 4, 1978 - March 9, 2008

RETHINK WHAT IS POSSIBLE.

Though the circumstances are tragic, it was wonderful to see the cohesion between cyclists and the support of the community for cyclists and cycling safety. Thank you to the City of Cupertino for sponsoring the memorial, also to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, for providing support for the ride.

BENICIA CRITERIUM...VICTORY!

Sunday was the Benicia Town Race - a crit, with a nice roller on one side, and a downhill to a flat sprint finish. I liked the course, but last year I crashed out at this race in the 2nd to last corner and dislocated my shoulder, so I was a little wary of that. Once the race started though, I didn't think about the crash any more, my thoughts were only focused on getting a top three finish, in order to get the points I needed for my cat 1 upgrade.

We had a solid team - me, Mary Ellen, JV and Lori, and everyone knew what they had to do.

At the line....We wanted to get me into a break if possible, and if not, the plan was to set up a solid leadout for the final sprint. I went up the road with Mel Metzger in an early break, but we got pulled back in a few laps.

Karla off the front...

(photo courtesy of Paul Doran http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicarioussojourn/ )

The chase effort....

photo courtesy of Paul Doran ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicarioussojourn/ )

Then there was a counter attack and a break formed with Mary Ellen in it. Eventually that break came back too, and the field got antsy again. Lori and JV were doing a great job covering any moves that went without me.

Lori covering...
photo courtesy of Paul Doran ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicarioussojourn/ )

Then, there was a prime lap, and I decided to use it as a trial run for the final sprint. Since it's a long final straight, I stayed about 4th wheel after the last corner, and waited until I saw someone coming up behind me. I jumped into her draft and then sprinted around to take the prime. I think it was right on that lap that the next break was established. I was a bit cross-eyed after the prime, but I saw three fast ladies (Jane, Virginia, and Liza flying past me, so I did everything I could to get on that train.) I was so busy trying to hang onto a wheel, that I didn't quite notice we had a break, but then I looked back and the field wasn't there anymore. So off we went, a break of 6 (including 2 others that bridged across). We rode hard for a couple laps, but then settled down, and I knew my teammates in the field were doing everything they could to control it.As we came through the start/finish, I heard them ring the bell for another prime, and heard, "$175". So I thought to myself, "dang, that's a good bundle of cash, I would like to get that." Even though there were just a few laps to go, I decided to go for it. It was Jane and me battling it out down the final stretch in a really long sprint, and in the end, she got me by about a foot. Ooops. So I burned a lot of matches for nothing on that one. (After the race, I was told that it was actually $175 towards a VO2 test, NOT cash (!) Next time, I'll try to listen a little bit better).

Pretty soon it was 2 laps to go, and it was time to think about sprinting. I sat 4th wheel until the last corner, behind Jane, Virginia, and Liza. Around the final corner, Liza moved up on the outside and led out the sprint. With a couple hundred meters to go, I jumped and sprinted hard, just barely beating Jane to the line. It was a great win for me and the team, and got me the rest of the points I needed for the upgrade. It's now been submitted, and I'm just waiting for it to be official...Thanks so much to my team - they all were totally committed to helping me win the race, and we pulled it off! To put the cherry on top, Mary Ellen won the field sprint out of the main field for a 7th place finish as well. Nice work everyone!

Women's podium L-R, Virginia Perkins 3rd, Karla 1st, Jane Despas 2nd

Thanks for reading,

Karla

GIRO...TOP 10!

The Giro landed on a perfect day - the weather was gorgeous, but for a variety of reasons, much of our team wasn't able to make it to the race. So it was just JV and me toeing the start line. And JV had let me know before the race that she wasn't feeling well - upset stomach, stress - but I knew that she would do what she could.

The field was probably the most stacked "local" field we've had all year - Christine Thorburn and Karen Brem of Webcor, Brooke Miller and her Tibco squad, Sarah Bamberger and Stacy Marple from Cheerwine, Kat Carroll (Aaron's), Martina Patella (VAC) Shelley Olds, Virginia and a few more Proman, along with Vanderkitten Liz and Mary, a squad of Code 3 riders, Dolce Vita, and a bunch more strong ladies.

Start line Giro di San Francisco (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://flickr.com/photos/garrettlau/ )

The race started out fast and stayed fast - never a dull moment! The course was also great, 6 corners, a slight rise, and LOTS of rough pavement. My strategy was to mark wheels of the other pros that were there without a team - since it was just JV and I, I knew we wouldn't want to use much energy chasing or attacking - I tried to just be in the right place at the right time. At one point during the race, we were coming into turn one, and a guy rode his bike off the sidewalk directly into the front of our peloton. I think just about everyone was screaming, and he somehow didn't get hit. Unfortunately, a few girls went down as a result - I hope you're all OK!

Karla holding position at the front (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://flickr.com/photos/garrettlau/ )

In the second half of the race Christine Thorburn launched herself off the front of the pack alone and put on a time trialing clinic. She is incredible! In the last few laps the field was chasing really hard, and I was working really hard to hold my position. It came down to the end of the last lap - around the final corner, I was about 5th wheel, and we took off sprinting. Martina won, catching Christine in the final fifty meters, but Christine managed to hang on for 4th. I came across the line in 6th, and we were quite happy with that, considering the caliber of the field. JV rode strong for the entire race, and stuck with the field, even feeling sick! She was caught near a crash (hope you heal up quickly, Shelley!) in the final lap - fortunately she didn't go down, but she lost momentum, and didn't contest the sprint. It was a really fun and aggressive race, and I loved the course! Now we're looking forward to the Twilight Crit.

Thanks for reading,

Karla

US CRITERIUM CHAMPIONSHIP

Karla and ME ventured to nationals, both finishing in the top half of the field. You can read Karla's report here...karlajanekingsley.blogspot.com

CARRERA TOP TENS

Carrera de San Rafael....what a party, what a race...we'll definitely be back every year.
Karla-5th

Mary Ellen-8th

JV-9th

The team rode a very solid race with everyone focused on using their strengths smartly. The race started with a decent pace and a flurry of attacks. Early on three riders were off the front, I moved to the front and chased. Just as we caught them a Proman rider attacked with Karla on her wheel (good job Karla being in position and ready to follow the counter attack)..and the winning break was launched. Karla in the initial break (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://garrettlau.smugmug.com/

With Karla up the road, I focused on covering attacks and chase attempts. Shelley from Proman jumped, myself and Yukie from Kenda tried to go with her but couldn't match her speed. As the field caught myself and Yukie, I drifted back a bit to recover and Helene from Proman attacked and immediately had a gap. Unfortunately, this resulted in two more Proman riders making it to the break. Karla did a great job in the break though and took 5th in the sprint. At this point I focused on staying toward the front to help protect the break and allow ME to conserve for the final sprint. Sitting second wheel for the rest of the race, ME just waiting for her moment! (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://garrettlau.smugmug.com/)

On the backside in the final lap I went to the front in the hopes of providing ME a good lead out. I went as hard as I could, tried not to lose any speed in the corners, came through the final turn still at the front and started to sprint. ME came around just before the line to win the field sprint and 8th overall. I held on taking second in the field sprint and 9th overall.Mary Ellen and myself taking 1-2 in the field sprint....you can just see my foot behind ME...probably a good thing since I don't think my sprinting face is all that pretty (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://garrettlau.smugmug.com/)

Thanks for reading,

JV

FONG IS THE BOMB! U23 DISTRICT RR CHAMPION

We are so proud of our teammate Kim Fong, the current U23 District Road Race Champion...here's her report...

Fort Ord, a race of attrition if there ever was one. The U23 women were racing with the 1/2/3 women's field for the NCNCA district road race championships in each of our respective categories. Technically, I wasn't racing against all the "oldies" (don't take offense if you're over 23--you're just older than me), but I was still looking forward to racing against all of the women not in my category, just to see where my fitness was at. 6 laps of the infamous Fort Ord course, slightly changed from the year before to include a lollipop turnaround less than 15 minutes from the start and another 180 degree turnaround on the out-and-back section. One nice long pedaling descent before a sharp, quick lefty into the hill.

Things mostly stayed together for the first two laps. Then, on the third lap, Touchstone decided it was time to get something going. Kelly M. threw in a good attack but it was brought back; Maria M. threw in a good attack and it was also brought back. And then, on the climb, Olivia D. got a decent gap, taking the solitary Jazz Apple woman with her. The field was content to let them sit about 500 meters off the front for a few miles but wouldn't let anyone else off. The gap yo-yo'ed a bit, the hill took its victims, and by the fifth lap, there were only 9 of us in the front group (2 Touchstone, 2 Proman, Metromint, TIBCO, Erin and me). Touchstone did a great job blocking, and a concerted effort to bring back the break never formed despite Mary Ellen and Erin's valiant efforts on the front; eventually it had 4 minutes on us. On the last time up the hill, I nearly popped, but managed to convince myself that the race was in front of me and hung on to the Touchstone climbing train led by Maria M. Six of us crested the top together (2 Touchstone, TIBCO, Mel from Proman, Amanda Eaken from Metromint, and me). In the last 300 meters, Maria M. attacked from the back. I hopped on her wheel and came around her in the last 75 meters, but I was no match for Mel Metzger's wicked uphill sprint and took 2nd in the field sprint for 4th overall. I was stoked to have survived the race with such a strong group of women (a bunch of climbers, no less)! And the Women's U23 District Road Race title was icing on the cake. I had fun racing with such awesome women and teammies (Erin 10th and ME)!
Thanks for reading,
Kim

Kim has also made her presence known at the U23 National Championships taking 7th in the road race and 14th in the criterium. Great work Kim!

MORE SUPER K AT SUPERWEEK...KARLA 7TH

Here's Mary Ellen's summary of Super K's telephone report after today's race...

Let me give a little setting for the race today.
It was a hot summer day and the wind was calm. Karla stood on the start line glistening in her newly pressed WHITE jersey awaiting the storm of todays racing. As the gun went off the pace was fast and furious. She held on with pure grit and gristle. Karla loved the exhilaration; she
loved the pain!! As the pace ramped up a few more knotches, all she could think was, "I WANT MORE!"

AND now for the real news:
No really. I'm pretty sure it was a fast race. And that the Verducci ladies were patrolling the race a lot more carefully after Karla won yesterday. Probably a good guess that no breakaway would succeed today. And it was true: the race came down to a field sprint.
Wtih 5 laps to go, no team was setting the pace and the field kept mushrooming. With ~1 lap to go, the Verducci women had had enough, and started ramping up the speed with a picture-perfect leadout. The former US Crit Champ, Theresa Clif-Ryan won the field sprint. Karla sped
in to finish 7th. NICE WORK!

cya'll
M.E.

SUPER K AT SUPERWEEK...KARLA WINS!

Superweek- Ray Basso Bensenville Criterium

Karla raced smartly getting in a two person breakaway. With 10 laps to go her breakmate crashed, Karla rode over her bike, stayed upright, and stayed off the front for two laps by herself until the crashed rider joined in again. The two worked well together and Super K took it to the line for a breakthrough victory. Check Karla's report here, http://karlajanekingsley.blogspot.com

photo courtesy of Ali Krasnow

Lafayette Criterium...VICTORY!

A great team performance helped Mary Ellen have a repeat performance by winning Lafayette Criterium for the second year in a row. Full report coming soon.

Coyote Creek Circuit Race...PODIUM!

Erin raced smart and aggressive to secure a podium spot, check back soon for her report.

Erin warming up for her podium pic (photo courtesy of Steven Woo who labeled it "Act Natural")



Erin on the podium Ali Rosenthal 1st, Aimee Baker 2nd, Erin Dunn 3rd

Napa Grand Prix...Victory!

It wasn't just the weather that was hot in Napa yesterday!
Mary Ellen 1st
Karla 2nd
Kim F 7th
...and just about every prime!

Karla, Kim F, and Mary Ellen were on fire for the Napa Grand Prix. All of them launched attacks to keep the field chasing resulting in Karla off the front in a solo effort for half the race.

Karla's race was the most adventurous as it included...attacking the field, getting off the front and clipping a pedal in the next turn, crashing, taking a free lap, attacking again, getting off the front again with ME, sending ME back to block, riding breakmates off her wheel, riding solo taking primes, getting reabsorbed by the field, jumping the curb in the final turn to avoid a crash, then launching her sprint to lead ME out and finish 2nd....that's hot. And inspirational.

Here's a video of the final sprint courtesy of Mr. Fong (Kim's dad)...Thank You! Karla comes through the corner first, and the red and white blur behind her is ME (she's too fast to catch on film)...beautiful sprint ME!


Our best wishes go out to those who went down in the final turn, we hope everyone heals quickly. Also, thanks to ZTeam and Cycle Circus for promoting this great new race.

One Weekend, Three Races, Two Podiums and More!

Sierra Nevada Criterium
Karla Kingsley 1st
Mary Ellen Ash 3rd
Holly Roberts 4th
Erin Dunn Most Aggressive Rider Award Top three, L-R, ME 3rd, Karla 1st, Elis Bradshaw 2nd
Here's Karla's report...

We had 6 people for the Sierra Nevada crit in Folsom on Saturday. My personal goal was to win the race - I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and I knew that the field would be less intimidating than many of the crits we've ridden this year. I was so lucky to have Angela, Holly, Erin, Mary Ellen, and Lori there to help! As a team, we wanted to get as many people in the money as possible. For the first part of the race, Erin and I tried to initiate breaks, but nothing was sticking. Holly went for the first prime, and was just nipped at the line. When we realized that a break was unlikely, Mary Ellen told me to just sit in and relax. Meanwhile, Angela, Lori, and Erin kept the pressure on with frequent attacks. Erin spent a whole lot of the race off the front solo, forcing other teams to chase and again earning her the Most Aggressive Rider award. Nice, Erin! Mary Ellen did a great job patrolling the front of the race and covered any other attacks. It was amazing to watch everyone being so active and playing a role! In the final lap, Holly went to the front and pulled for the second half of the lap, keeping the speed high, as I sat behind ME just a couple wheels back. Around the final corner, ME pulled me forward with a perfect lead out and I sprinted for the line for my first win as a cat 2! ME came in for 3rd and Holly for 4th. It was truly a team effort, and I am so happy to be part of that team dynamic. Thanks SugarESpecials!

Thanks for reading,
Karla

Pescadero Road Race-top 10

While the rest of the team played in Folsom, a few of us took on the climbs...w 1/2- Kim Fong 7th + sprint, Brianne 15th w 3- Lucia Mokres 5th

Kim finishing strong....
Nevada City Classic Criterium-top 10

Erin, Mary Ellen, and Karla represented well at one of the toughest and most prestigious crits in our district...Erin 10th, Karla 11th, Mary Ellen 13th.

AVC Countdown

Just over 24 hours away from one of the best Norcal track events, American Velodrome Challenge. Find more info here http://americanvelodromechallenge.blogspot.com/ and here http://www.ridethetrack.com/ So head down to Hellyer and enjoy the action, speed, and suffering of national and world class athletes....some of the most fun you can have while not on a bike!

Special thanks to all the Los Gatos club members and other volunteers promoting this event.

TOUR DE CURE...A HUGE SUCCESS!

Some of the team rode the Tour de Cure in the fight against diabetes. It was a great event, well supported and wonderful volunteers. Thank you to everyone who supported us in this cause and helped us to raise $2120!


Thanks to all our donors....
Rachel Lansdown, Susan Ash, Malwina Pietrzak, Dr. Carol Thomas, Dan Horn, Dr. Elizabeth Fraze, Bruce Burgess, Carol and Kevin Goodrow, Garrett Lau, Thomas Weber, Vangelis, Richard Ash, Dr. Victor Rucker, Isabel Galdo Miguez, Lisa Hern, Barry Gordon, Denin Sahovic, Wendy Lei, Darrell Lewis, Henry Madden, Tim Smith, Russ Sutcliffe, Doug McEtchin, Robert Brommer, Sunil Mehra, Kerry Stivaletti, Kim Perez, Les Austere (Summit Bikes), Isaac (Putnam Volvo), Charlene Snow, Jennifer Sudbrink, Leslie Hayes, Ronda Montalvo, Mike and Sandy Sudbrink, Janee Sciorelli, and Diana Aldrich


Special thanks to Devcon Builders for their generous support in this great cause, you can check them out here http://www.devcon-const.com/

TOUR DE CURE...FIGHTING DIABETES ONE PEDAL STROKE AT A TIME

The Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women's race team will proudly participate in the Tour De Cure this Sunday June 8th. This tour serves as a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association and we need your help. Below is a link to our team page, please click away and consider supporting a rider to help us reach our fundraising goal.
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=5062&team_id=303289

No amount is too small and all contributions are greatly appreciated!

ICCC Dash for Cash...Victory!

With the help of teammates Karla, Holly, Angela, and Kim W, MaryEllen was able to win the final sprint (w 1/2) for the second year in a row at Dash for Cash. The team also did a great job working together throughout the race helping Karla and ME win half the primes in the process and Angela placing 6th in the 3's. Great racing ladies!

ME ready to roll... (photo courtesy of Paul Doran http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicarioussojourn/sets/72157605387279913/ )

Memorial Weekend Wrap Up...Podiums and More!

The team took advantage of all the great local racing over the long weekend....

Friday Night Track Racing- Karla and Mary Ellen represented well...

Points Race 2nd Karla, 4th Mary Ellen

Miss n Out- 2nd Karla, 5th Mary Ellen

Chariot Race- 3rd Mary Ellen, 5th Karla

Saturday- Canada Time Trial

Women's Merckxx Category- 2nd Mary Ellen

Women's ITT- 9th Jen VM

Sunday- Mt Hamilton Road Race

w 1/2/3- 11th Brianne, 18th Kim (great job ladies it was a talented field...an impressive finish for Kim in her first road race as a cat 2)

Monday- Memorial Day Criterium

w 1/2/3- 2nd Mary Ellen, 9th Alexis, 10th Karla, 15th Lori and Erin, Angela, Jamie, Kim, and Holly in the field.

Mary Ellen podiums at SugarCRM Memorial Day Criterium

Hellyer Fashion...Ash vs Hernando

Who knew they wore the same size?

Story goes like this...last Friday night at Hellyer Kingsley forgot clothing, Mary Ellen took one for the team giving her kit to Karla, and wearing Hernando's Moon suit. Hard to say who's most fierce sporting the flower power (although it does match ME's bike nicely).....

Mary Ellen in all her glory....(photo courtesy of OTB Photos http://www.otbphoto.com/)

Hernando in all his gory....

(photo blatantly stolen from his blog)

EBC Crit, Another Great Race

A good day for the team....

Karla- 4th

Mary- Ellen 5th

Lori- 10th

Erin- Most Aggressive Rider

Here's Karla's report:

The Women's 1/2/3 crit started at a perfect time - 1:40 in the afternoon, and we all had time to sleep in and warm up. There were 6 of us lined up at the start, and one of us on the sidelines cheering and coaching (thanks, JV) - so we were one of the biggest teams, along with Tibco. There were many other teams with a few girls, making a field of about 40. The first third of the race was pretty low-key, everyone was just settling in and really keeping their eyes on the marked riders. The bell rang for our first prime, so I got in position near the front of the race. On the backside, Lori came around me and led me out all the way to the line -- that started things off a little bit and opened our legs.

Lori pulling off after leading Karla out for the prime, nice job ladies! (photo courtesy of Ruth Winder http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthwinder/archives/date-taken/2008/05/10/ )

The racing got a bit more aggressive then, with attacks and counter-attacks, and everyone was doing a great job covering moves. Then Erin launched off the front of the pack, solo. She got a huge gap and stayed off for several laps, even with some serious chasing going on.

Erin in one of her multiple off the front efforts, nice! (photo courtesy of Paul Doran http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicarioussojourn/sets/72157605032495206/ )

Eventually, Erin started getting pulled back, and as we went by the start/finish, JV was yelling, "get ready to counter, girls!" So I sat about 6th wheel or so, and as Erin came back to the pack, I attacked up the gutter on her inside. Meanwhile Angela attacked up the other side, drawing the pelaton with her before easing up and allowing me to create a big gap quickly. I was assuming I would get caught soon, but the group let me go for a while - each time I passed JV, she yelled out my time gap, and it was holding steady. I stayed out in front alone for 10 minutes, until finally I was caught after a prime lap.

Karla off the front in TT mode (photo courtesy of Paul Doran ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/vicarioussojourn/sets/72157605032495206/ )

Two laps later, Erin went off the front again, solo, forcing other teams to chase, and winning her the award for Most Aggressive Rider. When the group caught Erin the second time, we were at 2 laps to go. Mary Ellen, Lori and I were all working to position for the final lap. We didn't quite pull things together the way we would have hoped, but we didn't do too bad either -- Tibco led out the last half a lap, and Mary Ellen and I jumped on the train for 5th and 4th place finishes behind Brooke, Taitt, and Ali. We didn't take the win, but it was a great day for us to work with each other and race aggressively as a team.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone out on the course who was cheering for us!

Karla

Post Race Show.....

Karla's prize from the Wente Crit is healing nicely...ya know Beth wants to measure that action....and nice work on the pose Beth, channeling your inner Hatch I see!

Just the best crew to hang with.

Erin with her well deserved Most Aggressive Rider award.
Karla can kill it in a sprint and bring sexy back...girl has mad skills!

SugarCRM Cat's Hill Crit...5th!

Cat's Hill Criterium
May 3rd
W123
Jaime, ME, Holly, Bri
Field size 20-25 riders?

The field was small but composed of a strong team from Tibco, Metromint, and Proman. My goal was to watch Shelley and go with her if she happened to attack or to be on her wheel at the end. The race started with a nice effort from Holly and Jaime at the front.

Holly leading the field up the hill (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://garrettlau.smugmug.com/Sports )
Metromint, Tibco and Proman all took their turns trying to keep the race interesting on the hill and straight aways, but for the most part nothing got away. Not feeling my best I decided to test my legs for a prime and won. Usually this helps energize me, but unfortunately it wasn't the case today. I also surprisingly took 2nd on another prime lap when I was chasing down Shelley. I was just trying to make sure she didn't get away, but I enjoyed the 20 minute massage that came with that effort. Mary-Ellen also put in a great effort on the hill beating Shelley up it and staying away for a lap, where we caught her on the false flat after the hill.

Mary Ellen attacks on the hill to solo off the front (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://garrettlau.smugmug.com/Sports )

Brianne looking comfortable on the hill (photo courtesy of Garrett Lau http://garrettlau.smugmug.com/Sports )

I was in a weird state of being because before I knew it the race was down to 6 laps to go. I thought I better start paying attention. So I tried to rest up until 2 laps to go. I had planned to move up and get on Shelley's wheel where I would attack just before the base of the hill and hopefully stay away for the win or atleast pull off a podium finish. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful at moving up, finding Shelley's wheel or attacking :). I came up the hill in 6th chasing Lauren from AV. Luckily I was able to catch her and pass her before the start finish for 5th. ME came in after me with a strong finish herself.

I want to thank the club for being so supportive of the women this year. The cheering all around the course was very helpful. I have had a great time racing with the club and this awesome group of ladies. On a side note, the highlight of my day was participating in clean up after the men's race and finally meeting Barry. Thanks for the many laughs!!!

Thanks for reading,

Brianne

Rewind! Wente Road Report

This is what happens when the blogmaster takes a header in a crit....reports don't get posted timely, sorry peoples! Below is Brianne's report on her victory...

Wente RR
Karla, JV, Jaime, Bri, 35 starters
Erin and Angela in the feedzone
66 mile race composed of a rolling 17 mile loop with a 1 mile climb to the finish

This was my second year doing the race and I had targeted this race for a podium finish, specifically a win, to get my final points for my Cat 1 upgrade! I was super excited to have teammates in the race and in the feedzone. Everyone was excited to help me reach my goals. The craziest thing was that everyone seemed to believe that I could obtain my high lofty goals, which I didn't quite believe myself. The race started mellow which was good for me because I was over heated from the beginning of the race. I have been trying to make sure my tan lines don't get too bad for my wedding and my best friends wedding which are right around the corner, so I started the race with armwarmers and an undershirt. Unfortunately, I didn't make it more than 15 minutes into the race before I had to magically take off my undershirt and arm warmers. Vanity was going to have to wait I told myself so Jen was kind enough to make sure I was ok as I undressed. Thanks Jen!!

At any rate the race was pretty uneventful. We were neutralized for almost a quarter of the second lap because of the masters and pro men's field which frustrated us so Flavia put in a good effort on the climb to try to get people racing on the third time up. Rachel Lloyd followed that with some amazing efforts and attacks on the back side of the course on the third lap. A group of about 10 of us stayed together, but once Rachel stopped pulling no one else pulled through. I wasn't about to drive the break, considering my lofty goals and that my teammates were out of sight. So because of our disorganization and lack of working together nearly 10-15 more women caught back on. Luckily JV And Karla were with the group of ladies who put in a hard effort to catch back on. Both were anxious to help out what they could before they got "dropped again". Luckily, but unluckily we were neutralized again the 4th time up the climb because the men's cat 3 field was finishing, so we went into the final lap with about 25 women and me with two wonderful teammates ready to sacrifice themselves for me to finish well. Rachel tried to string things out again, but she was unsuccessful of shedding any women so we noodled to the straight away before the last two right hand turns into the climb where Victoria from Tibco started launching some attacks along with Anna and Sarah from village peddler. Little attacks continued on the "false flat" with JV countering another attack by Victoria. Just as I was about to get boxed in Karla saves the day by making sure I was at the front of the field going into the last right hand turn into the climb. Flavia attacked around the turn brushing my hip, which kick started my adrenaline pumping for fear of crashing and for fear of letting her go. I jump hard and was able to gain good ground and pass her when the climb pitched up. I somehow easily pulled away as her legs blew. I heard Erin, Keith, Angela and various other people cheering and screaming you have it, you have a huge gap, keep digging. I looked back to see everyone much smaller behind me. Part of me starts to get excited so when I was getting close to the finish I sat down to zip up my jersey and peddle "slowly" to the finish so I could put my hands up, but I looked back to see three girls gaining on me so I had to stand up and put in one last effort and cross the finish with my head down in unbelief that I had actually done it. I won my first road race and reached my one goal this year of getting my Cat 1 upgrade (strictly for my own bragging rights---I can't marry a Cat 1 racer without being one :) ) I was so excited that Jen and Karla did exactly what I needed to make sure I was in good position which was critical for my finish. They did an amazing job of team work and still managed to finish 14th and 19th respectively. We were all very thankful to have such great teammates in the feed zone (thanks Erin and Angela).

Thanks for reading!!!
Bri

Wente Criterium...Victory!

I am so proud of our team! Our day of crit racing started out really well with the team showing an aggressive, strong presence. Unfortunately, multiple crashes took some of us out but Alexis, Mary Ellen, Brianne, Lori, Jamie, and Angela held on finishing safely with great results...

Mary Ellen 1st, Alexis 4th in the w 1/2, and Angela 5th in the cat 3s. Report coming soon.

All photos courtesy of Garrett Lau, thank you Garrett. You can check his pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/garrettlau/tags/wentevineyardscriterium/
Angela showing a strong presence throughout the race. Karla winning a two place prime.

Karla and ME..so cute yet so deadly in a sprint!

Mary Ellen winning the final sprint.

From the entire team, best wishes to all the women who went down yesterday. We hope the injuries are not serious and the recoveries are quick.

Thanks,
JV

Wente Road Race...Victory!

Another great weekend of racing for the team. Brianne, Karla, Jamie, and myself got to play on the roads of Livermore and it was fun!

Brianne on the podium...1st place!

Best way to spend a Saturday :)

Feedzone crazies...Angela, Erin, and Denny rocked the zone...THANK YOU!

Full report coming soon, after today's criterium, for now it's off to the races!

Thanks,

JV

Sea Otter Success...Podium and Top 10!

Holly and Mary Ellen hit the dirt at Sea Otter with great results in the MTB XC and Super D events....Holly was on the podium with a 2nd place finish. Mary Ellen placed 7th in the Super D pro women's field and even cycling news couldn't resist snapping her pic, check it out here http://www.cyclingnews.com/mtbphotos.php?id=/photos/2008/apr08/seaotter08/seaotter082/P1010523 Great job ladies!

Also, gotta give a shout out to our friends at Proman for a great showing in the circuit race!
Thanks for reading,
JV

Madera Re-Cap

Brianne driving the break (photo courtesy of Byron Services http://ebyron.smugmug.com/Sports/314482 )

Adventures in the 1/2 field

Madera Crit: stage 1-20 mile flat 4 corner
There was a good and strong field size of 25 women this year including 4 Cheerwine, Christine and Bev from Webcor, 3 or 4 Proman including Virgina Perkins, and 4+ from Touchstone, 4+ from Metromint (if you include the Cat 3's) and a few others. Erin and I were ready for anything. The race started off at a nice pace with the attacks starting after 3 or 4 laps. Keith gave me good advice and told me that the teams would end up neutralizing themselves and to not waste energy doing work that the big teams should do. I was forced to listen to his advice because I was feeling slightly under the weather. I am not one who does well in the heat. It is hard for me to find the perfect balance of water, electrolyte and food. Today was no exception. So I was hanging out at the back of the field watching the attacks go and watching the other teams cover. Erin went to the front for the second prime lap and put up a good fight but was caught at the line so the 5 seconds went to a Cheerwine (I believe). Shortly after with 7 laps to go Olivia from Proman put in a hard attack with Sara Bamberger from Cheerwine and Jen Joynt from Metromint covering. I decided to follow them so from the very back of the pack I put in a huge effort and was able to pass both Jen and Sara and hop on Olivia's wheel. We started working together fairly quickly but after a lap it was obvious that Jen wasn't making very strong pulls and seemed to be struggling to stay in and Sara wasn't going to pull bc she had a "sprinter in the pack". Therefore it came down to Olivia and I. I was quite nervous that we were going to get caught but for some reason it seemed the peleton stopped chasing. As the lap cards showed 3 to go I became more hopeful and Olivia and I did most of the work. I felt bad that Olivia was driving the break, but I knew how strong she was. I also know that Sara always sits in and then attacks early for the win. The same happened at this race, she attacked right after the railroad tracks on the last lap and somehow managed to stay away for the win. I was able to react but not fast enough bc I was still a bike length behind her at the line. I was ecstatic to be in my first crit break that stuck and to sprint for my second week in a row for a happy second place. Erin came in with the pack about 20 seconds later feeling good herself.

Madera TT: stage 2-bumpy flat 10 mile
I had an interesting few hours between races and was already struggling with a headache. Despite my unfavorable state, I was trying to stay positive and not annoy Erin with my ailments. We arrived about 50 min before our start time. It was blistering hot and we wanted to enjoy the AC in the hotel room as long as possible. I was going to ride my TT bike with full TT gear in my new position for the first time. I had been excited earlier in the week bc I thought I was going to have a great TT. i knew today was going to be anything but great. After riding around for 10 min I thought I was ready to get today over with so I lined up 10 min early. I wish now that I would have went back to the car for more liquids bc I was out of water and Keith took off my water bottle cage thinking I wouldn't need it in such a short TT. The TT started off not so good when the guy holding me at the start didn't let go. I almost fell over sideways so to recover I had to unclip and reclip which cost atleast 10 seconds. Within three miles I was so parched I could barely swallow. It was so bumpy I was struggling the entire time to control my bike. I never really got into a rhythm. I was so out of rhythm by the 5th mile I was standing up and sitting up to relieve pressure on several areas including my neck :) To my dismay I was past by my 30 second women shortly after the 5 mile mark and by another at 6 miles and by a 3rd rider with 3 miles to go :(. At the same time I was approaching a couple of riders and luckily passed them, but it didn't help my legs feel any better. I was still feeling like I was going to pass out and wanted to get off my bike, but somehow I dug deep and pushed through until the end nearly falling over at the car from dizziness. Luckily after consuming 16 oz of liquids I was feeling a bit better and went back to make sure that the officials got my number. I was disappointed bc according to my stop watch I was in the high 26 min range and my goal was in the 25 minute range. I found out the next day I finished 17th and was 16th overall bc of the TT. There were 6 of us pretty close in time in the 26 min range, but it was still very frustrating to feel so awful. Lesson learned after talking with Christine that on a bumpy course like this I should have reduced my tire pressure to somewhere around 100 psi. I rode Keith's disc close to 130 psi. No wonder why I was being tossed around so much!!!
Erin rode the TT Eddie Mercx and finished the day with good legs.

Madera RR: stage 3, 17 mile loop x 4 for 68 miles
Today for some reason they decided to start the Cat 3 women with us, despite the fact that the race bible said that they would be racing separately. It made the race a little more interesting bc I had to work harder to get around riders getting gapped in the bumpy section, but the day was otherwise uneventful. Having not slept the night before bc of my severe headache and neck pain I was hoping to just finish the race and be able to drive home safely. Erin was feeling good and her goal was similar to mine, to safely finish. I basically watched the entire field against Christine Thorburn. A solo rider would get away and Christine would slowly reel them back with an occassional rider helping out for a short bit. Kelly McDonald put in an amazing effort and was off the front for an entire lap. Several other riders including Jane from Metromint and a Cheerwine made solo efforts off the front. Nothing got away. it was a close call as we caught the last solo rider, another cheerwine off the front, on top of the first roller with a couple of kilometers to go. I managed to work my way up to top 10 and then to top 5 by the top of the second roller. I was nervous about getting boxed in so I attacked at the bottom of the last roller. Unfortunately, I was passed by three riders about 20 meters from the finish. I looked behind as I crossed the line to see I was safely 4th place with the next rider a few seconds back. I couldn't believe I did it again. I didn't hesitate or doubt. I finally have been able to sprint and go for it. I did go super early, but it was better than waiting and not placing at all. Erin unfortunately had a mechanical and was unable to finish the last lap, but she ended the weekend in good spirits despite her frustration.

So my entire goal for Madera was to rack up as many points for my Cat 1 upgrade. Goal accomplished. I am 8 points away so hopefully I will continue to race smart and have good luck!!

Thanks for reading. so much for being short!!
Bri

Adventures in the 35+ field

Angela and I were signed up for the Masters 35+ group for Madera this year. Although Angela raced Madera last year, this was my first time. Many thanks to Angela for providing me with some details and insight into the stages and players before the start!I arrived on Friday afternoon. WAY later than anticipated.

My plan: ride the TT course, and drive the RR course. Due to the lateness of the hour, I dumped all my crap into my room (including my dog), changed and raced out to the TT course to do a pre-race ride. I could find no info about the RR course, so driving it was clearly out of the question. When I set out onto the TT course the first thing that struck me was: YIKES! This is one, bumpy road! The 2nd thing that struck me (repeatedly, actually) were the volume of BUGS hitting me in the face. Note to self: breathe through nose during TT. I got some valuable insight into the course, pavement and turns, and then I drove it, marking the mileage at each turn. I then relayed that info to Erin and Bri, racing the 1/2 field. Back to the hotel, got cleaned up and off to find food and groceries. I'd forgotten sunscreen, and it was apparent that I was going to seriously need it.

Stage 1: Madera CriteriumGot a reasonable warm-up in the shade next to Angela. Not much in the way of tactics for us, since we were just 2 against a field of 20 others, notably almost half of which were Velo Bellas. Clearly, they would control the race and we would just have to choose how we would react. For some silly reason, I thought the race would be somewhat mellow, saving us for the TT in the afternoon. It was anything BUT. I swear that the attacks started immediately. I found myself at the front, either patrolling or chasing. Angela was right up there with me. Dang, this is hard! There were a few short-lived attacks, which were all brought back. Then other attacks started that were a bit more worrisome. 2 Bellas in a break. Uh oh. 1 Bella attacked, and I went with her. For some reason, she turned, saw me and sat up. ARGH! Wasted match! A time or two, I found myself in no-mans land: unable to expend more energy to get to the break, but ahead of the pack (hate that). A break of 5 or so was up the road and I started to chase, but I swore Angela was in it. So I started to sit up and block. After my eyes focused a bit, I realized: "Oh. That's not Angela." Oops... back to chasing. (I should extend thanks to my dog here, for keeping me awake half the night on Friday, SNORING.) With 5 to go, there was a break of 2 Bellas up the road (and possibly a 3rd woman?). Not good. 4 to go, they were still away. 3 to go, Sarah from ProTech came to the front and was able to bring it back. When we passed the final corner with 2 to go, another Bella or two attacked. UGH. I was realizing that I spent too much time at the front and I really needed to recover. No time for that. Miraculously, the break was brought back at the bell lap, and it appeared that VB was setting up a lead-out. I had two of their women marked, but when we were between the 3rd and final corner, they seemed slightly disorganized. I sensed a moment of hesitation in them, and it was then that I chose to attack. I realized just how FAR away the finish line was, but I was inspired by a similar tactic a male teammate had exhibited in the race before ours. He won with a pretty sizable gap. I just accelerated hard away from the pack and thought, "no guts, no glory!!!". When I took the final corner and looked back, a decent sized gap had opened. Sweet! If I could just hold it... It was like a bad dream. The closer you get to the finish, the further away the line gets. I was hurting and coming in on fumes. If the entire pack had passed me, I would have been utterly unable to respond. A check over my right shoulder showed the pack closing, but I should have checked my left shoulder. Lori Simonson was coming up on my left and nipped me at the line. I couldn't react anyway, and all I could do was grunt at her... Obviously, my grunt meant nothing and she won anyway. Ha. 2nd wasn't bad, and Angela rolled in for 7th of 22 finishers.

Stage 2: Sharon Time TrialMadera, that's so hot. How true is that... I opted to head out there as late as possible, lying on the bed in my air-conditioned hotel room resting. I blasted the A/C on full on the way out and really dreaded getting out of the car. It was at LEAST 90 degrees when we started at around 2:45 p.m. I totally skipped my warm-up, and just rolled around for 10 minutes before heading off to the start. Figured I'd use the first mile as my "warm-up" and try to stay as cool as possible. Knowing the course was super bumpy, I must have slathered on about 4 inches of chamois cream. This proved to be a life-saver, and the only thing I'd do different next time is keep the tub of chamois cream in the cooler. 3 minutes before my start, I felt hungry. Luckily, I'd shoved a GU up my shorts leg. Big mistake #1. Big mistake #2: not letting the holder hold me. I started in the small chain ring (mistake #3) and could not get clipped in. I'd clipped directly in the other 7 times I'd clipped in after getting on the darned bike... fumbled and fumbled and fumbled and finally got my foot in. Estimated that I lost 45 seconds or so here. Grrr. Then into the big ring and off we go. It was hot. And bumpy. And miserable. My goal was to keep my HR around 165 bpm for the first third, then 170-175 for the second third, then 175+ for the last part. Clearly the heat was playing a part because when I looked down, uh oh. 170. Mile mark: 2. Not good. 8.5 more to go and I'm already into the 2nd part of the course... so I backed off a bit. Ahh, 165. Whoosh. Crap, there goes my 30-second person. Sped up again, and back up to 170. Then, I puked. Bleah!!! Backed of a wee bit, then back on again, trying to keep the woman in sight that had just passed me. Tried to maintain 22 mph, but it was hot, and windy and bumpy and bleah. 21 was doable. 22 was just asking for trouble. I rounded corner one in the aero bars and kicked it up a notch. Well, since I was already UP, now I was at 175-180, well above my plan. I reasoned with myself that the heat played a part in that and all I could do now was keep going harder till I couldn't go any harder. Almost puked again. So I took a drink. Then I really DID puke. Okay, no more liquid unless I'm lying on the ground convulsing. Continued on, and drove to the next corner, reasoning with myself that when I got there, I was greater than half way done. I realized that I was way deep in the pain cave and this would actually be a first for me: taking a TT seriously enough to bury myself. Definitely painful, but a good learning experience. The next corner was narrower, and bumpy and I opted to get out of the aero position to get through it. Probably smart. The road was so bumpy and it was so hot that my arms were slopping around in sweat on the aero pads and because I wasn't wearing gloves, my hands were sliding on the grips. Best to be careful so I didn't lose my grip and lose control, since TT bikes are uber-maneuverable. Ahem. I think I almost puked about 3 more times, then I was over it. I bumped it up again, and now I was between 180 and 185 bpm for the remainder. I still had woman that had previously passed me in sight, but my 30-second person had slipped out of site. I then got passed by my minute person (Andi Smith) at around 2 miles to go. Drat. I could also see 2 other women up the road, and they appeared to be flailing. I took the last corner in the aero bars and proceeded to pick off the two, whilst keeping Andi in sight. I finished, and rolled directly back to the car with Andi, in order to get out of my clothes, and into my air-conditioned car. I'd forgotten my dry clothes. Andi gave me some cold water and I drove back to my hotel in my sweat-suit (aka: skin suit). Placings: me in 14th, Angela in 16th of either 21 or 22.Had a glorious dinner (after an even more glorious shower) with Bri, Erin and Angela, then off to bed!

Stage 3: Daulton Road RaceWoke up Sunday feeling sore! At least I made the dog sleep on the chair, so I slept reasonably well. Didn't matter much. I had left too much of myself on the crit and TT courses the day before. The simple goal was this: race as strong as I could, for as long as I could, then just worry about finishing the race. Got on the bike and was pedaling squares. Oof. Opted for another short spin to warm-up, then go to the bathroom, then roll to the start. Once we started, I got a decent enough warm-up in the promenade going uphill and felt somewhat human when we hit the course. Things seemed fine in the pack. I moved around. Left side. Right side. Up to the front, at the back, in the middle. I was just trying to enjoy myself in the pack while I could. Then it happened. A crash. A woman in front of me appeared to either hit a pothole, or try to dodge one. She veered into the woman to her right. They were leaning on each other for a bit, then she moved back to the left. Unfortunately, the other woman (Pam Davis) was still leaning and went down pretty hard. I had to veer a bit left to avoid Pam and her bike, and then her bike must have hit something because it appeared to cartwheel off the road into the ditch. The pack splintered at that point and some of us were yelling and whistling trying to get the pack to neutralize for a bit, so we could all catch back on. Even though a few women chased back on, they only backed off a bit and I had to chase pretty hard to get back on. It probably wasn't THAT far, but in times of duress, things seem to take SO MUCH LONGER! Anyway, I caught on and said that people were still chasing. We chilled for maybe 5 minutes, and that's when the attacks started. Angela was behind me still chasing and I wasn't entirely sure if I should stay with the pack, or wait for her. I'm trying not to hesitate anymore and so I stayed with the pack. I survived the series of attacks over the Paris-Roubaix-in-Madera-Country-Road, only to roll into the rollers in zone 5. I'd lost my mojo after seeing Pam go down and it was then that I switched into "survival mode" - just finish. My bike started making a funny noise and so I stopped just prior to the feed zone hill. Brakes were fine. Started up again. Weird screeching noise. By this time, I had a partner in crime (Katherine from Code 3), who was just ready to abandon. I'm happy to report, she stayed in with me. Checked all the spokes. They were intact. Started up again. UGH... Still screeching at me. Last resort: take the front wheel off and put it back on. I'll be darned: it was the skewer. Figured I'd already stopped, so stopped at neutral and got some water in my bottle. Off we go. We picked up another woman on lap 2, Angele. The 3 of us were passed by the Pro1/2 men on the bumpy stretch, and then they asked to stop when the next men's field passed a few minutes later. At that point, I just wanted to finish, so the time didn't really matter. Got more water at neutral and 2 more women caught us on the feed zone hill, so now we had a good paceline going. I made it till corner 1, and had to back off the pedals. My legs were freaking out and even though I'd been drinking a lot of liquid to stave off cramps, it was also causing me to have a pretty bad side stitch. I spent roughly half the race with a side stitch! Can I just have a normal day, please? Sheesh. Anyway, the finish was rather anti-climatic and we all called it a day. Placing: 16th of 17 finishers. I think I was 16 of 17 in the GC.While the end result wasn't the greatest, it was a really good block of training, and my second stage race this year. I'm definitely not going to cause any anxiety by showing up at a stage race, but it sure is great training, and it's always so nice to have teammates there to share in the glory, and the pain!

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Roberts Off Road

Beginner Women's Race
My first mountain bike race of 2008. Since I'm racing the Cross Country race at Sea Otter this year, I figured I'd better get out there and do at least ONE MTB race prior. So, I opted to skip the Santa Cruz Crit and race my favorite little spot: Toro Park in Salinas. Toro Park consists of approximately 2.5 miles of uphill fire road, and 2.5 miles of single-track, some fairly technical, beautiful scenery, sandy spots and cow pies! I was only half "into" this race, as I was tired from the day before! We start and whoosh! 3 women go shooting off. I thought they might kind of falter on the uphill, since it's pretty long and un-relenting, but I was soooo wrong. I never saw them again! I was taking it fairly slowly, since the last time I raced here, I went too hard and washed out in some loose dirt and split my ear open on a piece of wood! I was in no hurry to repeat that, so I plodded along at an almost comfortable clip on the uphills, and pretty slow on the single-track descents. It was more of a "smell the grass" type of race for me, and I was able to gain time with each lap. This was just the mental edge and confidence builder I needed heading into Sea Otter. I rode all 3 switchbacks comfortably, over all the logs in the trail, up the little grunts, and the scariest spot: through the mud, up a grunt of a hill and over a mass of tree roots onto a sweet single-track section! Nary a mishap, misstep or mis-calculation on my part. Well, except for going out too conservatively.Without any major mishaps, I finished the race with all my skin, no dirt stains (except from all the dust that came up off the trails), and with a big boost to my confidence and my fitness! Looking forward to the next CCCX race at Toro in May.

Thanks for reading,
Holly

That Madera, So Hot Right Now

Literally. High temps took their toll after a strong start in the first stage for Brianne and Holly. Both placed second in the criterium, Brianne in the w 1/2, Holly in the 35+ field. Great job ladies. Further details and reports on the time trial and road race stages coming soon.

Best wishes to Hernandez and any other riders caught in the heat wave.

Redlands Rockstars

I'm not talking about the kind with skinny jeans and panda ears, but our very own Karla Kingsley and Mary Ellen Ash. Karla's report can be found here, http://karlajanekingsley.blogspot.com/

Karla warming up and feeling good!

Keep reading for Mary Ellen's report...

Redlands from the perspective of a sprinter: With four days of pain awaiting the athletes, it would be an exciting ride for the athletes who were selected to participate in the 2008 Redlands Classic!!!

Day 1 - A 5km uphill TT would be sure to test the athletes legs and separate the strong from the weak.

Day 2 - The Beaumont Circuit Race - A new course for 2008. It consisted of ~110km of racing with mostly flat open roads and 2 little climbs to test the athletes.

Day 3 - The Downtown Criterium. After 2 hard days of racing, this was sure to be a test of mental strength in the ability to fight the 'burn.'

Day 4 - the Sunset Road Race. The penultimate stage set through some lovely winding roads in the Redlands hills. This might have been the toughest stage of them all.

Thursday: The uphill TT was definitely a challenge in many ways. While I'm not a climber and a pretty poor Time Trialler, it was definitely going to be a interesting stage. I had opted not to use TT bars for the event since it was mostly uphill and I was more comfortable in my drops. After a good warm up, the legs had finally opened up for the race and I was hoping for a decent showing. With 2 minutes until my start, I was getting my bike weighed and checked by the commissaire and was shocked to find that my lil' road bike was not properly set up for TT-ing. Aparently my saddle was too far forward. So in an instant, my bike went from super comfy to unbearable! The Mavic boys slammed my seat over 2cm arears! I sat in the starting box trying to settle myself and roll with the change. I had a strong start. But when I sat down, I could tell the seat was in the wrong place because even at my 100% effort! I felt really stretched. Once I hit the base of the climb, I found it best to climb out of the saddle. I had some fast ladies pass me and then the pain was over.When I eventually found my time, I was 99th(15m36s). Definitely disappointed, but I took a positive in the fact that 99 was the chosen number of the great Wayne Gretzky. And since I'm Canadian, that number means a lot to me. I was hoping the number 99 would bring my luck in the next few stages. On another positive note, there were some pro men with slower times than mine. nice.

Friday: After another nice little warmup, the legs felt good and we rolled over to the start. It was very exciting seeing all the girls lined up. Everyone was visibly tense. After the gunshot, the peleton was off. And wouldn't you know it, I was just about to experience a whole bunch of firsts at the NRC level. My rear tire went flat within the first 1 mile of the race (a first). Darn it! I threw my right arm into the air and got my first ever rear wheel change (another first)! It was quick and the Mavic boys gave me a nice nudge to get going. And into my first NRC chase began (yet another first). I was still within the long caravan, and so I was able to duck in-and-out of the cars to get back into the pack (never had a caravan before). And then I did it! I caught back on (another first). And then I fell off again once we hit a small incline since I was already maxing out to catch the pack. Luckily I had a great team mate, Laurel Green, who dropped back and pulled me back into the fold (my final first). Phew. I was back in the pack and trying to recover from the massive effort.And then I kind of exploded. As the peleton hit the base of the climb, I lost touch once more. The first pitch was rather steep and enough to shed me from the pack. I trickled back through the caravan and then hit the first descent. I gained back a few spots in the caravan until the next little rise when I completely lost the caravan. I descended once again with full speed in a effort to catch the rear of the peleton. Elis Bradshaw caught my wheel and the two of us TT'ed. Elis and I rolled around the course with the mantra, 'never give up,' going through our heads. We combined our forces in an effort to make the time cut. It was both the most horrible day of racing, yet the most fulfilling day of racing I have ever experienced. I found new levels of pain I could endure. It was gut-wrenchingly difficult to keep pedalling. Up the final ascents, my legs were cramping and I was just willing my legs to turn over the pedals. It was an incredible day of racing. I am honored to have ridden with Elis and it will never be forgotten. I so proud of Elis and I for our efforts and also everyone who finished the race.

Saturday: Since the race times were posted at 9pm last night, Elis and I were left to battle for a starting position in the morning. Although we had worked together for a incredible 3hrs, our finishing time was outside the time cut. There commissaires chose to extend the 10% limit to 15% which encompassed the majority of riders who finished the race. Unfortunately, Elis and I were of the five (5) racers who's times didn't make the cut. With our Team Manager, Laurel Green, the three of us rolled over to the Commissaire box. After several pleads with the officials, it became apparent that we would not be allowed to start the day. It was very disappointing to give 100% of ourselves to the race the previous day. There were many times we could have quit the race, knowing we might not make the time cut, but we chose to push forward in hopes of being given the chance to race anyways. It was a tough lesson. Its always hard when someone else decides you're not allow to continue racing. After a few shed tears, a couple of free Starbucks Frappuccinos, I was happy camper and cheering on my team mates. It looked like a really tough race with the peleton strung out for most of the event. Ouch!

Sunday: I was in the feedzone and happy. Another great day of racing. MY legs were sore just watching the event! It was an incredible day of racing from the women. Most impressive, was watching the sprinters (Laura Van Gilder and Kat Carroll) remain with the lead group for the whole race. It was awesome to see the sprinters climbing!! I hope one day I'll be able to find their secret. It was a memorable first Redlands. I've learned a lot about racing and about what it takes to get to the top level.

Thanks for reading!

Santa Cruz Criterium- Podium and Primes!

Santa Cruz Criterium
W 1/2/3
Field Size-approx 25
Teammates-Brianne, JV, and Erin

A small but strong women’s field turned out for the Santa Cruz Crit, including racers from Proman, Tibco, Velo Bella, Vanderkitten, and Alto Velo/Webcor. Although the smaller field made maneuvering through the technical course easier, it did not provide shelter from the wind, making it a fairly hard race.

Brianne, Erin, and myself planned to use this as a training race so there was no diabolical race plan like usual J . However we always look for results opportunities and knew that Brianne was our go to girl. Rachel Lloyd from Proman started fast and immediately strung out the field for the first two laps. The pace settled down at the base of the start/finish climb and lucky for me I managed to remember that it was a prime lap for a box of strawberries. Unlike some competitors, I will sprint for food. So off I went, up the right side and won the prime. I had a decent gap and worked to stay off the front for another two laps. It was fun while it lasted, but cost a lot of energy as I spent the next few laps recovering. At one point, Bri came by and gave me the slightest push just to make sure I stayed on…thank you teammie!

JV looking pained off the front (photo courtesy of Steve Woo)

Brianne attacked the field and held off the chase with her solo effort for about three laps, winning a prime in the process, a huge, impressive effort.

Brianne looking happy off the front! (photo courtesy of Byron Services, check his stuff here.. http://ebyron.smugmug.com/Sports/314482)

Once she was caught, Proman launched various attacks resulting in the pace remaining high as chase efforts were shared among the field. With two to go, Lauren from Alto Velo attacked and immediately had a large gap. On the descent I moved up and chased to bring the gap down, then Proman and Tibco took over pulling Brianne along. As we came through the final turn, Brianne stayed patient and let the lead out continue as people began their sprints. She jumped hard to the right and flew by people as they started to fade on the long uphill finish, winning the field sprint and taking second overall.

This course proved to be one of Erin's less favorites, but she is one tough lady that never gives up!

Erin focused and determined (photo courtesy of Byron services, check it out http://ebyron.smugmug.com/Sports/314482)

Overall a great day of racing, thanks for reading,
JV

JV and Brianne with their sweet prime prizes...thank you California Giant Strawberries!

Brianne on the podium for 2nd place.

Martinez Criterium- Top 10

We like to call it Martinez Chaseterium...long story short we missed the winning break, chased, attacked, and tried to bridge to no avail. Kim, Lori, and Josie finished strong and in the money, great job everyone!
JV

Update

The team took the past few weekends off from racing, but not training. After some solid races in February and March, we all took time to re-set the training clock as we wind up for Martinez Crit, Santa Cruz Crit, Redlands (Karla and Mary Ellen will join forces with our friends at Dolce Vita...good luck ladies), Madera Stage Race, Sea Otter, and Wente Road Race and Criterium....just to name a few. Check back soon for reports.
Thanks,
JV

Bariani Road Race...5th

Driving up to the Bariani road race from Davis, I could tell that it was going to be windy – my car with bike on top was getting buffeted around on the freeway, especially as I was passing semis. To get to parking, I had to drive part of the way on the course, and I could see in the races that were going on that the fields were just blown apart. There would be a group of 10 guys, then 5, then a couple, etc. It was just Holly and I today from Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized, and Holly was suffering from some pretty severe allergies. So we decided to race conservatively and see how things would shake out. The race started with around 40 women; MetroMint, Tibco, NorCal Velo, Wells Fargo, Specialized, VeloBella, and CRC were all represented. We started out on lap 1 of 4 very slowly, primarily because we were headed straight into an enormous headwind. As we turned, the pace started to pick up a bit and the field strung out along the gutter. The wind was truly amazing at some points, blowing so hard that we were literally leaning our bikes way over just to stay upright. After a couple miles, one CRC and one Tibco went off the front of the pack, and dangled there. I was riding near the front, just trying to feel out the course and the field, as we came around to the tailwind section and headed for the first KOM – it was not a huge climb, but definitely enough to split things up. I went over the top with the front of the field, and coming past the finish line for the first time, I decided to try to bridge to the break. I attacked and got a gap, with no one on my wheel. That was good. Kept pushing, started hurting, got closer and closer, until they were maybe 20 yards in front of me. And then I stopped getting closer.

That moment may have been the one that most affected the race outcome for me. If I had been able to dig deep, stand in the pedals, and just give it everything to get there, I may have made the break that ultimately won the race. But in the millisecond of decision, I thought, "my legs are tired from yesterday. The field is so close anyway – this break probably won't succeed. It's so early in the race, better to save something for later." And I clicked it down a gear and sat up to wait for the field.

I hung out in the field for a bit after that. There was chitter chatter of organizing a chase, but little coordination, and it was just so brutal in the headwind that no one wanted to be taking pulls unless everyone was. The most interesting moment of my race came when I decided to ride up the gravel-filled gutter area to the front to help drive the pace a little. When I got there, I heard this "pingpingpingping". When I looked down, it appeared that a rusty hanger had gotten caught in my derailleur. What to do? It wasn't affecting my pedaling, but could cause a major mishap if it went into my spokes. So I unclipped my right foot and started kicking at it, all while trying to roll along with the field, going at a brisk clip. Soon I was at the back, still kicking at the hanger, not wanting to stop because I wasn't at all sure I could chase back on alone in the wind. At that point I also noticed that our field had been reduced to about 15-20 girls. I later learned from Holly that as soon as the pace picked up in the first lap, gaps started opening up all over. She was able to jump around gapped riders several times, only to see another gap open up a couple riders ahead. She finished out two laps, but was having a pretty hard time with her allergies, and wisely decided to call it a day and focus on getting some antihistamines.

So I was just off the back of the pack, kicking at my hanger, swerving all over the lane. After one particularly well-placed blow, the hanger broke free of my derailleur. Hooray! But when I looked up, I was headed straight for the ditch. I quickly switched into cyclo-cross mode through some gravel and grass, and luckily, managed to keep the bike upright and hopped back onto the road. I chased back on, and vowed never to pick up a rusty hanger again.

The rest of the race was pretty interesting, tactically. Everyone (except Tibco and CRC) wanted to catch the break, but no one wanted to do the work. We did manage to coordinate a full-on pace line for a bit, with everyone working, but it would always fall apart. On the third lap, we saw that the Tibco rider from the break had flatted, leaving the CRC woman out in front alone. Through an amazing time trial effort, she actually increased her gap on the field from 1:20 minutes, to 3 full minutes! She fully deserved the win after that – well done!

In the field, we came into the final KOM together, and at the top, there was a group of four of us with a small gap. I wanted to try to hold it to the finish, but we didn't organize quickly enough and the rest of the field caught us. In the final corner, it was a mad downhill, tailwind dash to the finish. It's one finish where I definitely could have used an 11-tooth cog, as I was spinning out. (Note to self: Get an 11). I ended up fourth in the pack sprint for fifth overall. It was a great race, and a great group of women!

Thanks for reading,
Karla

Community

Our community honoring Matt and Kristy and hopefully healing in the process.

Photo courtesy of Dave Puglia.

Landpark Criterium...Podium!

Distance: ~45mins
Weather: warm, breezy ~65 degrees
Category: W 1/2/3
Course conditions: Closed 1-mile course around a golf course with several chicanes and sharp turns.
Team mates: Jen VM, Karla K, Angela A, Holly R and Mary-Ellen A.
Notable Teams: Dolce Vita, UC Davis, Code3 Racing, Vanderkitten, Metromint, et. al.
Field size: 35+ women

The Plan:
The Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women's team was the largest team present at this event. Our goal was to animate the race with a series of carefully timed attacks. With the strength and depth of our team, we knew we could control the race. It was also the first race of the NCNCA Premier Series and the team wanted to acquire some points.

Our objectives were to set up M.E. and Karla for several Primes and to ‘practice’ the lead out for the final sprint. Since M.E would be a ‘marked’ sprinter in the field, the team would ‘feign’ M.E. as the team sprinter, when really it was Karla as the designated sprinter. Very sneaky.

The Race:
In respect of Kristy Gough, we rode the first lap neutral and in silence.

From the start the team was at the front of the race and our team attacks were plentiful. Jen started us off with a blistering acceleration and quickly established a gap. The field looked at each other and eventually Vanderkitten and several other individuals reeled JV back into the fold. And that’s when Karla made her counter-attack. A UC Davis rider bridged and the two of them stayed off the front for several laps until the inevitable catch. And just when it seemed the race would settle down for a few moments, the team attacked again and again. The groans could be heard from the field. Angela, Karla, JV and I all made ferocious attacks that successfully severed the field. We successfully took all the lead primes.

In the final 3 laps, Karla jumped on M.E.’s wheel and snagged the last of eight primes. And that’s where the undoing of our plan started. The team was so focused on controlling, attacking, and acquiring primes that we seemed to forget about “resting” for the field sprint. JV kindly reminded M.E and Karla to “recover” and set up for the field sprint. There was a shuffle and unfortunately Jen pulled the field around for 1.5 laps (which made it impossible for her to give Karla her lead-out). After some smart racing, Karla pulled M.E. near the front and it became evident that M.E. would be required to sprint for the win.

I had to smartly bury myself in the field and wait to jump. My legs were not fully recovered from all the earlier efforts and I knew this sprint was going to hurt a lot! Digging deep, I maneuvered out of the field with 350m to go. Unable to pull past the eventual race winner, and just getting nipped at the line, the team settled for 3rd. It was an honorable podium.

It was a great day of racing the team learned a lot: racing is tough; controlling a race takes practice and patience; rest and recovery are very important. This race showed the Easton/SugarCRM/Specialized women are a very strong team. We all left the race feeling the strain of today’s race in our legs.

Congrats to all the ladies who participated.
It was a great day at the races.
Thanks for reading,
Mary Ellen

Tides of Life

Waves of sadness rise and fall with each reminder of Kristy and Matt’s demise. Every news article, blog post, forum comment builds momentum, intensity, higher and higher until it crests…the wave rolls relentlessly. You don’t always see it coming. Then the offhand innocent question from others….hey did you know those cyclists that died…powers it over the tipping point and it crashes over your head. Pulling you under, taking breath away, fighting for air, thinking if I could just get to the surface maybe I can answer. Words fail, tears roll.